Although I didn't have many expectations before coming here, I definitely did not anticipate the weather and the pollution. Due to the fact that it's winter, and we are in the mountains, it is extremely cold at night and in the mornings. I go to bed every night wearing multiple layers and under four thick blankets.
Also, there are no restrictions on car emissions and the streets are filled with black smoke. For someone like me, who has only ever known the clean air of Vancouver and Seattle, this has been a very difficult adjustment. I constantly find myself coughing and my eyes watering from all of the smog.
Lastly, even though I knew prior to my arrival that the water conditions are not great in Peru, I had no idea how much it would affect me on a daily basis. Not only are we recommended against drinking tap water but the water is also heated via electricity. This means that hot water is extremely scarce and more often than not I find myself taking cold showers. In fact all of the water, both hot and cold, is shut off at night at around 10 PM and for the past three nights I have had to use the drinking water that they boil for us, poured into a cup, to wash my face and brush my teeth.
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